Fans are buzzing with excitement asThe Bachelorhas chosen their new lead, Grant Ellis. This New Jersey native appears to be a catch. He first debuted onThe Bacheloretteseason 21 as a possible suitor for lead Jenn Tran. Although he and Jenn shared a strong connection, Grant was taken out by his competitors and ultimately eliminated by the hometown dates. His charisma and fun-loving personality were memorable to fans, so he was invited back to lead his season. With last season’s Joey Graziadei having found love, audiences are eager to watch a new love story unfold.
Grant seems to have the best intentions. In hisTheBacheloretteexit video, he claimed he wanted a family and to be in love. While Grant will make a fantastic lead forThe Bachelorseason 29, some worry the franchise may be the wrong place for a wholesome man to find love. The shows have been plagued with drama, and fewBachelorcouples survive the mounting pressure of public relationships. Ill-intentioned suitors make the search impossible. The following contestants and leads have proven that the franchise prioritizes ratings over love.
Gerry Turner Lied About His Past
Gerry Was Enabled By Producers
Gerry Turner’s season ofThe Golden Bachelorstarted strong. Gerry seemed too good to be true. As a retired “restauranteur,” he had proved successful occupationally. When he told audiences, with tears in his eyes, he had remained single for over six years after losing the love of his life,the fans and contestants swooned.His calm demeanor, respectful attitude, and clear transparency made Gerry seem like a catch.
According to the star, he had lost his ex-wife, Toni Turner, after 43 years together. He claimedhe could not bring himself to pursue other women.The Hollywood Reporterlater examined this harrowing backstory. Gerry lied about his:
According to the news outlet,Gerry was involved with another woman,14 years his junior, only a month after his wife’s passing.This woman opened up about his manipulative nature and their breakup, which was prompted by her weight gain. Several more relationships with various women followed this split. There was no evidence pointing towards his retirement through his LinkedIn. A few employers have confirmed that, from hot tub installation to maintenance, Gerry is still employed.
The franchise was not only aware of his past but likely encouraged the deception to boost ratings.
While he could easily be to blame for this deception,the franchise enabled Gerry’s lies. In an interview on Justin Long’sLife Is Shortpodcast, Gerry described the intense background screening before his involvement on the show. The thorough vetting would have caught any inconsistencies. His LinkedIn for instance, is just a Google search away.The franchise was not only aware of his past but likely encouraged the deceptionin order to boost ratings.
Guy Gansert Has A Restraining Order
Guy’s Past Was Intentionally Concealed
Joan’s season ofThe Golden Bachelorettefeatured some questionable characters. Guy Gansert, the runner-up of her season, appeared rather flawless. He was calm, collected, and romantic—what more could a woman ask for? Like Gerry,Guy had a questionable past that he opted not to disclose.
Guy had been very vocal throughout the season about his divorce from his ex-wife, Heidi Seevers O’Gara. Despite this apparent openness,Guy had never mentioned the restraining orderthat she had requested. According to Heidi, Guy was in a volatile period of his life. She believed this correlated with his sleeping medication. His“extremely unstable”behaviorprompted her to file for this legal order.
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Several incidents made her concerned for her safety. She maintained Guy was sending"stacks of text messages”and threatening her life. In one particularly upsetting event, Heidi claims Guy had placed something behind her driver’s side tire. Guy held up two fingers when she confronted him,motioning as if firing a gun.Eventually, she took legal precautions (viaThe Sun).
Notably, Heidi voluntarily withdrew her application three weeks later. Guy understandably wanted to keep this situation private but chose to participate in a publicly scrutinized show. He should have addressed the topic head-on if he wanted to avoid rumors. Instead, he concealed his past,leading some to believe Guy was aggressive and dishonest.The franchise was undoubtedly aware of this fact as well. It was not concerning enough forthe producers to reconsider Guy’s involvement.
Jenn Tran Was Heartbroken
Jenn Was Manipulated On Screen
Jenn, the physician assistant student from Miami, took the lead position onThe Bacheloretteseason 21. Her drive and dedication toher romantic pursuits made her historically memorable.Jenn was the first Asian AmericanBachelorfranchiselead and the first woman to propose to her winner during the season finale. While she and Grant were not the perfect match, she maintained a strong connection with contestant and winner Devin Strader. Her eager search for love ended with a resounding heartbreak, andDevin proved one of the most manipulative partnerson the show.
Jenn and Devin appeared perfect. She seemed to know early on that Devin was her final pick, and their connection only grew across the episodes. The pair proposed to one another in an adorable final moment. Unfortunately, when Jenn and Devin returned to the show for the final episode, she revealed they had split. According to the former leading lady, Devin had grown distant in the months following their engagement. Shortly after,he called her to break up over the phone.Devin told her he no longer loved her and regretted committing to marriage.
The franchise attracted backlash for pushing Jenn to confront Devin on screen.
The day after cutting her off, Devin followed another contestant, Maria Georgas, on social media. Maria, who was on Joey’s season ofThe Bachelor, stated she was unaware of the follow and had never met Devin. Jenn spoke openly about the situation on the podcastOff the Vine. In this conversation, she mentionedseveral people reaching out and sharing more evidence of his disloyalty.To dispel rumors,Devin shared screenshots of private and intimate conversationswith Jenn. This invasion of privacy only devastated her further. The franchise attracted backlash for pushing Jenn to confront Devin on screen.
Grant is dedicated to finding his forever partner onThe Bachelor. Although he will make a great addition to the cast, the franchise has a history of malintentioned contestants and misplaced priorities. Grant may find that his potential partners are using the system for their own gain. He cannot trust the franchise to put his well-being first. Grant could have the best chance of finding genuine personalities off-screen by dating traditionally.
The Bachelorseason 29 starring Grant Ellis premieres June 28, 2025, at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
The Bachelor
Cast
The series centers on a single bachelor selecting a romantic partner from a group of contestants, with episodes featuring various challenges and eliminations.
